Dr. Melva Covington
Senior Vice President, Research and Patient Outcomes at Curio Health
“I approach every circumstance as a way to make things better and exceed expectations. My “job” is to see the possibilities, use what we have (or can create) to build and execute on something innovative.”
Watch the video below to learn what inspires Melva.
Read Melva’s full profile below
What do you do every day?
Every day I think about new and better ways of doing things. I am trained in the disciplines of Public Health and Early Intervention. So by training, I am focused on population health in diverse groups. Specifically, I seek to understand and provide solutions on ways to help and support communities, i.e., communities of individuals, families, regions, society, and professional colleagues. Each day, I have different things to do in my R&D role improving recruitment and retention in clinical research. I focus on prioritizing what needs to be done and how to do it efficiently with the resources around me. However, my thoughts are always about how I can use my skills and talents, in partnership with my very bright colleagues, to come up with outcomes that will improve the health and wellness of people/families.
Why do you love it?
I love what I do because I approach each situation or task with the mindset of how it will be successful and make an impact. Now that outcome is not always so evident because usually the challenges and barriers are great. However, that doesn’t impact my mindset of excellence, even if it does not look so good. I approach every circumstance as a way to make things better and exceed expectations. My “job” is to see the possibilities, use what we have (or can create) to build and execute something innovative.
What were your moments of fear and challenges in your career?
One of my greatest challenges was in preparing the final components of my Ph.D. dissertation. I had to integrate the latest changes in the document based on input from my advisors, finalize it in 24 hours and turn it in to the Registrar in order to graduate. These were the days, in which we used floppy disks to save things because the computer hard drive storage was not large enough. Well, I finished the changes and went to save. But before I could do so, the entire computer system crashed, damaged the disk and I lost all of the written changes in the process.
I was heartbroken, walked out of the computer lab, sat on the floor, started crying, and just prayed for comfort/help/direction – anything! I saw my life flash in front of me because it was due at 5 pm and it was 4:45 pm. At that very moment, my dissertation chair happened to walk out of the classroom to get something from his office and saw me. I explained what had just happened and he arranged for me to have another 24 hours with the registrar to make changes. I went back to the latest version that I had on a separate disk and got the job done.
Life lesson: Never panic – everything is manageable. That experience guides my reaction, even now, in crisis management.
What are some of the latest innovations in science that you are most excited about?
I am most excited about the breakthrough in Genomics and the potential of innovation in targeted (or tailored or personalized) medicine. The breakthroughs in understanding the DNA structure of all living things (and particularly in the human race) enable us to better understand the cycle or pattern of diseases and develop therapies that target them, while limited side effect profiles. This is coupled with the explosion in technology and the use of automated systems to replicate and analyze information much faster than ever imagined is simply amazing. This innovation and its application in increasingly precise ways are revolutionary.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Northeast Washington DC.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
My favorite school teacher is my mother, who was my first teacher of life, information, and culture. She established in me the seeds to understanding that “nothing is impossible – so go ahead and soar!” She was not only a phenomenal role model but taught business in the DC school system for 46 years.
Aside from my Mom, Mr. Greene was my favorite teacher who taught me in the 7th grade. She helped me to make a good transition into junior high school and was a gentle – yet firm disciplinarian. I was able to go to Europe under her watch and she nurtured experiences/exposures outside of America. My exposure to the world and global possibilities was birthed.
Describe an experience where you adapted your approach to resolving a sticky situation.
I moved from NJ to Indianapolis in 2004 to take a new job. I had no family or friends there but wanted to use this as an opportunity to adapt my social and professional style to successfully live in the Midwest. Nearly everything was different – even the rate of speech. Nevertheless, this was an opportunity for me to understand my new environment, listen to people and drop my perceptions of “what is normal” so as to be more open to change. This required me to look at things from the eyes of others but also be comfortable in bringing “my authentic” self to the table – and that be okay.
What is your unique talent?
My talent is in synthesizing complexity. I am not sure how unique it is. However, I have a gift of being able to digest complex concepts (or things that don’t seem to go together) and develop patterns or develop a strategy from diverse parts. These connections just seem to flow together. I then use the synthesized concepts to dialogue and engage with others. This stimulates conversations and great collaborations.
Tell us about your personal style.
Personal style – custom, monogrammed French cuff shirts with cufflinks. For me, it is a silent power statement when a woman in a room; says (for me) she means business. Also, I nice paired of heels goes well with that! In my purse are my phone, money clip, and hand sanitizer.
Is there a current book or book you love?
I generally read multiple books at one time – I get bored easily so this is necessary to keep my brain stimulated. Right now, I am reading four books:
a. Corner Office Rules, Keith Wyche
b. A Pale Horse, an epic novel by Wendy Alec
c. Jesus>Religion, Jefferson Bethike
d. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell
What is your favorite website or fun activity?
Favorite website is MotorTrend, Linked.in, CNN, Spafinder. I am also a bicycle rider so I explore different trials or vacations where I can bike.
Who inspires you?
What inspires me is the life and stories of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Understanding His walk and impact on people is a constant source of inspiration and a way to model my life. I am not nearly as perfect as He is; but I try to think about love, compassion, and grace the way that He did.
What’s next for you?
What is next for me is to continue to work to bring solutions through innovation. As Sanofi continues to evolve in the constantly changing healthcare ecosystem, I hope that I can play a part in that transformation. In particular, I would like to contribute to the understanding of how diverse patient populations and communities can contribute to this evolution with industry or pharmaceutical sponsors. We are currently engaged in building research structures and platforms that enable us to be more patient-centered. A key part of this is having Participatory Action Research and Engagement opportunities that help us to be better partners in healthcare solutions. I would also hope to be an inspiration to the next four generations of scientists. An impactful woman leaves an inheritance to the next few generations.
